SCHOOLS could be closed early for the Easter holidays as the number of UK coronavirus cases reaches a staggering 590. When will school closures be announced? Is UK in delay phase?

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Schools closures would have been a vital measure in stemming the growth of COVID-19 in the UK, and the government considered the option as part of the "delay" phase in its four-step action plan. The Prime Minister announced yesterday the government would not take the step alongside some of the worst affected countries in the world, but experts believe he might change his mind.

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One teacher told the Mirror: “We have been told an extended Easter break is a very real possibility if the virus spread continues at the predicted rate.

“We are now preparing for that eventuality. But this will not mean two weeks’ extra holiday.

“Schools in our local authority area - both primary and secondary – are drawing up plans for children to be given lessons at home.

“This will come in the shape of material drawn up by staff in advance in the form of set work from the curriculum on paper and also online work.

“Schools are drawing up lists of all children who have access to the internet at home even if it is via a parent or guardian’s phone.

“This is the best option as work can be submitted and marked by teachers also working from home.

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When will they announce school closures?

Boris Johnson has been told to act fast to stop the spread of coronavirus, with a former minister warning he should shut schools now and ban large gatherings.

The Prime Minister has decided against taking the potentially vital action however, as he announced following a COBRA meeting yesterday.

Despite branding COVID-19 the "worst public health crisis in a generation", and warning it would claim the lives of "many loved ones" he refused to implement further government measures curbing public gatherings.

School closures UK: Schools could be a key pathway for transmitting the coronavirus (Image: GETTY)

Experts believe the Prime Minister may be forced to change his mind in the future, as the virus progresses.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said it was important to initiate the “strongest” measures in the face of the coronavirus, adding he was “surprised” the government had decided not to.

Professor Whitworth said: "Based on evidence from other countries, the most realistic approach to this is to initiate the strongest public health measures that will be supported by the general British public.”